Chelsea Vs Newcastle United Match Preview

Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea await the Magpies this Saturday, as Newcastle United return to Premier League action in the capital for another live ESPN scheduled encounter.

Alan Pardew will look to build on last weeks 2-1 home victory versus Tottenham Hotspur at a ground in which we are now undefeated for four games. This stretches back to the 2008 / 2009 season where we left with a point after a 0-0 draw.

You can’t help but reminisce about last seasons fixture, where a certain Papiss Cissé opened the scoring with a sublime flick and volley in the first half to put United 1-0 up. Unfortunately for that particular strike, it was completely overshadowed by what he managed to do late into injury time, when he smashed a right-foot volley at an insane angle past Petr Cech, securing Newcastle the three points in a 2-0 victory. If you haven’t witnessed that goal, then I seriously suggest you scroll straight to the bottom of this page right now and watch it before reading any further.

It’s hard to gauge our form of at present with only one league match under our belts. Of course, the Magpies started with a very hard fought win, but didn’t perform particularly well in the first-half, and in all honesty, could and probably should have been behind at the break. Many of the issues we faced in that half could be put down to fitness of certain individuals, but it is mainly due to tactical decisions, which were rectified in the second half, and resulted in picking up the maximum points. Anyway, more about tactics and formations later.

Chelsea began the season with a decent 2-0 victory over Wigan at the JJB Stadium, with recent summer signing Eden Hazard stealing the spotlight. The Belgium international set up their first goal, won a penalty in the first half, and in general looked very impressive. On Wednesday night Chelsea beat Reading 4-2 at Stamford Bridge, with Hazard once again playing a pivotal role in the result. Chelsea were certainly not to their best, finding themselves 2-1 down at half-time, but ultimately picked up the three points which sent them to the top of the Premier League after two games.

Chelsea Vs Newcastle United History

In more recent seasons, Newcastle have had a good record at the Bridge, starting with that 0-0 draw mentioned above. In the following encounter during the 2010 / 2011 season, the Magpies triumphed 4-3 in a League Cup game thanks to goals from Nile Ranger, Ryan Taylor and a double from Shola Ameobi. In our league fixture that season, we came away with a 2-2 draw thanks to Steven Taylor‘s injury time header, and last season, Papiss Cissé stole the show in the 2-0 victory mentioned above. We have now managed to find the net in stoppage time in our last three visits to Stamford Bridge. It might be worth checking the odds for something similar to happen this Saturday.

On a negative note, from the year of 2001 to 2007, Newcastle made the trip to London 8 times in all competitions, lost all of them, scored 1, and conceded 20. In the last twenty years it hasn’t really been a happy hunting ground for the Toon Army, with a record of played 22, won 2, drew 7, and lost 13 in all competitions. Still, that’s not as bad as our record at Anfield…

Team News

Newcastle should welcome back skipper Fabricio Coloccini to the starting eleven. Shola Ameobi, and Cheick Tioté’s availability at the time of writing is unknown.

I believe Pardew will incorporate a 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 on Saturday. The personnel may alter in regards to Cheick Tioté starting if he isn’t passed fit, and I can only assume Vurnon Anita will replace Tioté should he be unavailable. Chelsea will likely set up exactly the same, employing the extra midfielder, with Fernando Torres leading the line, supported by Hazard and Mata.

Newcastle struggled last week employing a 4-4-2 versus Spurs 4-2-3-1, and had to alter the shape after half-time to combat it. Jonas moved more centrally in the midfield, and Demba Ba slotted to the left-hand side, much like we saw at the back end of last season. We always struggle to retain the ball in a 4-4-2, especially against teams who use that extra midfield player. It was the same story last season, where Newcastle looked more fluid, and used the ball better, while stemming away from a flat midfield four. If we do set up with a 4-4-2, I honestly believe we will not get a grip on the match, and Chelsea will dictate most of the play.

It’s easy to target Chelsea’s front three of Hazard, Mata and Torres as the danger, and to a degree sometimes you can’t just stop them from producing something special. But, what we can do is nullify their service, and the best way of doing so will be to stop it coming from Frank Lampard and Jon Obi Mikel. Newcastle will have to look to Cheick Tioté (if fit) beside Jonas to squeeze the midfield, and Yohan Cabaye to help out. Cabaye will also try and find space in the midfield to supply our own front three danger men – Demba Ba, Papiss Cissé and Hatem Ben Arfa.

Chelsea are still not the greatest defensive unit when their game plan is focused on attacking, as they are vulnerable to a counter due to a slight lack of pace across their back four like we saw against Reading on Wednesday night. Expect them to be very attack orientated for the first half an hour or so. This is the perfect time for Newcastle to try and soak up the pressure, and hit them on the counter attack. Ben Arfa is the key figure in achieving this, and both he and Ashley Cole will know they’ve been in a tough match by the end of the ninety minutes.

Waffle

A difficult first away game for the Magpies, but equally, a difficult home tie for Chelsea. The key to this match is setting up correctly from the first minute, and my fear is getting totally overrun in the midfield if we set up like we did first half versus Tottenham. Chelsea will take their chances if presented, and Newcastle will have to be careful around their penalty area, especially if Hazard is in full effect as he seems to have picked up a knack for winning penalties early into his Chelsea career. On the same note, Newcastle have players who know exactly where the back of the net is, so expect the Chelsea support to have their hearts in their mouths if a certain Papiss Cissé fancies a go from 25 yards. After all, he’s done it before hasn’t he…

NUFCBlog Author: Jimbob
Backpacker extraordinaire and current resident of sunny Sheffield. Loves Marmite, hates peanut butter. Sleeps twice a day, wrestles Polar Bears because he can and regards himself as cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce.
Jimbob has written 40 articles on this blog.

Tiote in front of the back four, with cabaye and Anita just in front (both can play defence and both are excellent passers of the ball)
We need to supply the front three, yethave a good defensive posture and we know both Cabaye and Anita are not shy about putting their foot in.
But i dont see Pardew playing anything but a 4-4-2, with both Ba and Cisse again lacking the support up front.

Have to admit that Campbell is a bit of a mystery to me didn’t even realise we had him till people kept promoting him for first team action!

Saturday is going to be a tough call, if we manage to beat them or even get a decent draw then I would think we could be challenging the top four places. A loss wouldn’t be a disaster as long as it wasn’t a drubbing.

Problem is Ba and Cisse are from the same mould, i have yet to see them compliment each other and both want the up front role. (thats where you score from)

Pardew has a problem, promised Ba he would play him up front, so do we play a 4-3-3 with cisse as a winger (it did’nt work with Ba) or sit him and play a real winger, (Marveaux, already upset because he did’nt get a game against Spurs)

Lets see you juggle those egos Grey Gaffer ?

To hell with it try a revolutionary forty five minutes apiece for Ba and Cisse, rotating halfs each game a competition for goals.
I’m only half joking here.

Another question, why have we, following a not too strenuous pre season so many unfit players, or is this just to confuse other sides, cause it’s got me confused.

One thing for sure, in HBA we have a game winner (plus he’s very entertaining to watch, a flair player.)
I feel his best position is as a free roaming attacking player, cause thats how he’s going to play , wherever you start him.
But what am i saying, we will i’m sure end up with Pardews basic 4-4-2.
Any chance of trading Pardew for Martinez, we could throw in Obertan, AP appears to like him.

Nice JB however I’m not sure that Cisse will start on Saturday assuming Ba was “rested” and not injured ?

Our goal a game maestro has looked decidedly off the pace since pre season – mystery virus in Germany and then a month of Ramadan probably hasnt helped ?

He played 70 minutes in the heat (yes it was hot) yesterday so maybe Pardwho will leave him on the bench tomorrow ?

I noticed none of the first choice defenders played last night, and Colo stayed behind, presumably to give them as much rest as possible before the onslaught at the Bridge ? In addition to the existing hazards (geddit) they may also have Moses to contend with from the bench ?

So 4-5-1 definitely, even Pardwho isnt that stupid to play with 2 up front surely ? However IMO the personnel might vary slightly with Ba up front and HBA and Marveaux supporting. Pardwho mentioned Marv was in his plans for Saturday but yesterday’s contribution wasnt great but if its a choice between him and Squidward then its a no brainer

Chuck, he’s not been one who has had a lot of hype around him, I usually know a lot of the names from the junior squads but his has never came out as a high profile prospect. Nice to see some of the youngsters getting through system, seems to be a very tough road for some of them.

Speaking of ex-youngsters did anyone see the Celtic post match interview with Forster, I got the impression that he would really liked to have stayed with the Toon. Better player than either Elliot or Harper imo.

“As it stands, it’s ridiculous in Europe if we’re going to be in the later stages and having to play teams like Internazionale, Marseille, Sporting, Liverpool, Twente and the Champions League dropouts”

Liverpool, LIVERPOOL? They have won more trophies than we can dream about. Not this year.

Since grumpy said it already I’ll admit it as well: I didn’t even know about Campbell’s existence until late in this preseason. Hard to imagine him making much of an impact this season, though he may well get tossed in at the deep end if we don’t get in another forward.

Is Nile Ranger still NUFC’s problem?

On topic, their back line looks to be injected with a bit more pace as Luiz is returning and Terry will likely sit out with injury. Maybe the former will go in for a stupid challenge early in the game and get sent off though…

Cisse won’t start, Ba or Shola will as long as one is healthy.

Swansea to be relegated, eh GS? I wouldn’t bet on it. I’ll go with Wigan, Norwich & Reading. Villa to squeak by in 17th with the mackems barely ahead.

I recall a certain lady cavorting in front of me in a pub in Brighton and she got hold of my tie (I’d been at work) and wiped it around a certain private place. Sold it to one of my sad m8’s for a fiver afterwards

I did this write up before the game last night and didn’t think Cisse would start the game so thinking the same as you guys, that Cisse probably won’t start tomorrow now.

Can’t see Marveaux starting either Chuck, so dunno who will fill the left hand side. Maybe Cisse can play again?

But Ba is going to have to accept that the team performs better with him helping on the left. He kind of admitted that after Saturday and did say he studied why he wasn’t scoring at the end of last season. He scored on Saturday so maybe that will cheer him up.

Worky,

Cheers for adding the squads etc. Been stuck at work all day and moving again tomorrow! Hopefully I’ll catch the game!

Chuck, your formation is exactly what I was going for but the site I generate the formations on doesn’t allow me to move anyone around. I like the look of your team, but doubt Anita will play, and I dunno about Marveaux. I’m still worried he will pull up at any minute when he plays.

“I did this write up before the game last night and didn’t think Cisse would start the game”

I thought he would because of what I said earlier. Cisse’s not quite firing on all cylinders and looked out of touch last Saturday. Didnt look much better last night but then again he didnt get much service from the two frogs. Whereas Ba has put himself about in pre season as well as last weekend and looks sharper.

So Jimbob @ 35: Chuck is right in selecting our number 1 goalkeeper and Pardew’s preferred back four. So that’s 5 of the team, plus Cabaye and Tiote Ben Arfa who are pretty much locks now. So that is 8 that my dog and an octopus and a donkey could pick.

Leaves three open spots and he picks…Marveaux, Anita and Cisse? All of whom played less than 48 hours before. One is coming back from a serious injury, one is a new player and one just did Ramadan and will be on the bench.

No problem Jimbob: just saying Chuck would have a whole team of Ben Arfas and knacked players, but he isn’t as delusional as Ed’s blog where they always have half the team that havn’t even been signed yet.

If Jonas doesn’t start tomorrow I will send Chuck a box of Milk Tray Chocolates.

I was surprised too. I thought he was a toon fan, born in Sunderland father was a geordie mother was a retard. So his father took him to watch the toon play. Would have been better than Obertan, but in a 4-4-2 would pards drop benny?

GS, UTD wrote that it was lots of people on this site who pissed him off, as we weren’t being sufficiently respectful, grateful or positive enough about the way Mike Ashley has “turned the club around”.

Sorry Stephen, my phone’s on charge at the moment. I would have liked to, but I’m stuck with this site at such short notice. That was something I meant to change this season so I could start going to more games again.

I keep meaning to reply to your last e.mail too. Both myself and podgy Paul are completely up for tickets for both Arsenal games though if that’s still ok?

Yes I tried clint hewas originally going to go. He’s up here in the north east so he was going to travel down and come back with me. But he’s lass has planned a birthday party for the kid so he had to cancel.

“Carlos. Of course, God can stop everything. But so can we. We’re here to learn what God wants us to learn. Look at history, one thing we have learned to stop doing is slavery. Christ wants us to love, but learning to love is one slow lesson for man, but we’re doing it. Why would God want this? Imagine Heaven full of people who hated. It wouldn’t be Heaven, then, would it?”

If God is Omnipotent then he must have written this pile of shite and also could have stopped the shooting and even not allowed man to invent guns??? Or was it Zeus or Thor or Mike Ashley?

If God is all powerful, and all seeing, then he must have invented slavery as well.

Uh.. the bible explicitly endorses slavery. It’s very clear about owning and selling people. Read exodus 21. Furthermore, the NT Paul tells slaves to obey their masters and particularly if the owner is a christian… they should be especially good servants…

So… that post is just bollocks. GS, yes, it’s very trying. Painful at times.

What? Shearer and Ferdinand, no doubt. Did I ever mention that the “No Doubt’ guitarist wanted to have a fight with me in a Barcelona Hotel? I think I said Mancs had a chip on their shoulders and he got upset.

No Worky, men weren’t actually made from women’s ribs! Not even, so to speak. You mean literally? A default sex doesn’t mean men were MADE from women. C’mon, you will be saying Williamson is a good player soon

So, me Mam sends me a NUFC calendar every year and I put it up on my bedroom wall. My friend, Jerry, says I am gay because I put pictures of “attractive” men on my wall (he has obviously never seen Peter Beardsley or Marceleno).

LOL. What Bronze age people didn’t know could fill the universe. It’s really sad how people exchange reason for blind faith in something. And then wear their ignorance around so proudly. They’ve declined to use the very thing that defines humanity.

Fortunatley, here in the states the ranks of the non-religious are growing quickly.

Tripp mate, from 8% to 9%? I am fortunate that I live in the Oasis of reality that is Chicago. When I first went to Indiana 30 years ago, some hick pointed at a swamp and said to me “this is God’s country, boy”.

Shit Worky: I have to say it again in case you think I don’t mean it. But, you do write the best stuff about NUFC even when you lean towards criticising Sir Mike Ashley. He will be a “Sir” soon, you know it and I know it.

“LOL. What Bronze age people didn’t know could fill the universe. It’s really sad how people exchange reason for blind faith in something. And then wear their ignorance around so proudly. They’ve declined to use the very thing that defines humanity.

“Fortunatley, here in the states the ranks of the non-religious are growing quickly.”

I can completely understand you saying that on your side of the pond. However, I have read many books, and some of the greateast and most profound of them were written thousands of years ago, and have much to teach us thousands of years later.

You Yanks with all your modern military gubbins got your arses kicked in Vietnam partly because many Vietnamese generals followed the principles of a Chinese martial text written in the period of the Chinese warring states thousands of years ago. It’s a book which is still regarded as being by far the greatest book on strategy, and by far the most widely read. I have read books on Quantum physics, and have noticed remarkable similarities with the Dao de Ching, which is thought to have been written around 600 BC, so they did know quite a bit back in the old days!

On the subject of Christianity, the Quakers had it right, God is inside of us rather than outside. That’s why they are the greatest Christians of all, and have been such a huge and influential force for good, and have helped to shape so much of what is good and civilised in the modern world. The greatest of your founding fathers over there, Thomas Paine, was a Quaker, but he got pissed off with the others because as a Quaker, he was completely opposed to slavery (it was the Quakers who got it abolished over here) as it was an affront to the idea that God is a part of all of us and that each human being is of unique but equal worth.

Even when we think we are Athiests, we have a fundamental need for religiosity, it’s hardwired in to our brains. These militant Atheists who follow that Dawkins chap make me laugh. They have become his acolytes, they worship him and are little different. They have also developed the same kind of arrogance and bigotry as those religious rednecks who think the world was made 6000 years ago.

How dare you misrepresent the bible. It says you can own slaves as long as they aren’t from a neighboring nation / stats / whatever. As long as you take your slaves from further afield you can keep all the slaves you want.

Grab some slaves from France but make sure not to get any from wales or Scotland or you will anger the fairy in the sky.

“How dare you misrepresent the bible. It says you can own slaves as long as they aren’t from a neighboring nation / stats / whatever.”

Not so Paulosio. The crucifixion of Christ was the end of the old law. The new one was that you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, and also that you shall love your neighbour as yourself. These two pillars of faith are above all others to true Christians.

And we could do the the big J at St James’ Park today. He could come in and kick over all those ghastly, blasphemous, fit inducing Sports Direct signs as he did with the tables of the moneylenders in his fatha’s hoose.

Aye, it is a bit dear now nufc, though if they’d sold him a while back, they may have got even more for him as his star has been on the wane a bit recently. Still, if I was Man U I’d be well happy with that.

Worky @87: so you haven’t thought about religion that much then I decided many years ago that if there was a God then NUFC would at least win the league cup, so that is absolute proof that God likes Birmingham City more than us.

“I have read books on Quantum physics, and have noticed remarkable similarities with the Dao de Ching, which is thought to have been written around 600 BC, so they did know quite a bit back in the old days!”

“The greatest of your founding fathers over there, Thomas Paine, was a Quaker, but he got pissed off with the others because as a Quaker, he was completely opposed to slavery (it was the Quakers who got it abolished over here) as it was an affront to the idea that God is a part of all of us and that each human being is of unique but equal worth.”

Now I get it. You are a deist. It is a bit of a cop out though isn’t it? accept something that you don’t know without all of the dogma of organised religion. It is no different to all of the other shite that is written in the name of religion.

I am glad you didn’t take offense. It is so funny. You have a BLOG and talk about Thomas Paine. Was he the right back for the Founding Fathers? That’s why I like this blog, it goes in so many directions, even the Chuck direction is interesting now and again.

“Now I get it. You are a deist. It is a bit of a cop out though isn’t it? accept something that you don’t know without all of the dogma of organised religion. It is no different to all of the other shite that is written in the name of religion.”

It’s more reasonable… and it concedes that there is a lot of evidence which makes most theistic claims untenable. There’s still no evidence for it however. The default position (there is no god) is still the most logical. However, that may change with greater understanding and knowledge, who knows? To me, the important thing is to be reasonable.

Religiosity is dogma and I have no desire to have dogma. I am more interested in what’s true, whatever that turns out to be. The real core of atheism is simply a lack of belief in god or gods. That’s all it is. However, it’s often coupled to a world view driven by evidence and reason. That’s how I see it anyways.

As far as Vietnam… we shouldn’t have even fought that war in the first place. Tsun Tsu (I have a copy of he Art of War too) shouldn’t even have figured into the equation because we should have backed Ho Chin Minh from the beginning instead of giving “Indochina” back to France (for fear that the French would go commie if their glory wasn’t restored). Idiot move IMO. That was the moment we lost the Vietnam War… you could argue that everyone lost, really. Just a matter of degrees. The Vietnamese payed a terrible price, far worse than us.

Tripp: Hmmm. You know a lot more about religion than me. I even went to Sunday school. Later in life I realised that I was sent there so my parents could have a shag on a Sunday morning. Nowt to do with religion.

well at least the quakers dont want to fight anyone, so that has to count as something positive.
then again, it’s done f all for darlington, where are they now?, blue square north?
i can understand why some people are critical towards religion, but i think it also gets used as a scapegoat, for human failings, at times.
imo organised religion has a stranglehold on people, therefore the true nature of spirituality is crushed, so that cannot be a good thing.
i’m not religeous myself, but some of these old texts do contain useful information, albeit not the earth created in 6 days carry on.
there are good dilemmas and what is the right thing to do etc, but people should never base their whole society around it.
do you really need to be part of a religion to believe in something?, do you b***s.
as long as you dont harm anyone, treat people with respect, and help people where you can, and be all for the biosphere, we live on, then you cannot go wrong.

athiests make me laugh though, why are they so militant towards others, if they dont believe any way?
and if they dont believe, then why have they got to have an athiest association, or a humanist society?, why bother!!!
athiests have a belief in disbelief, there has to be a paradox, in there somewhere lol.
they run there own rights of passage, funeral services etc, i can see a pattern forming here, oh it’s becoming like a religion with rituals, and rules and regulations lol.

as for richard dawkins, what a prick, that bloke is, he is an arrogant overbearing a**ehole, who basically tries to insult anyone he has a debate with.
anything he has to say gets lost in his superior attitude, two minutes of listening to that twat, makes you want to put your foot through the tv screen.
the bloke is supposed to be a scientist, then why doesn’t he devote his time to his given profession, instead of writing endless books of there is no god, which in he even says himself, he cannot prove.
for an intelligent bloke, he not half looks like a daft cnut, wasting paper, the way he does.

as for the matter of another religion people follow, newcastle utd, chelsea will be looking to avenge, last season’s defeat.
i’m going to take a lawyers approach to this one, starting with the worst case scenario, i can see chelsea winning by two clear goals.
anything turning our way, after that will be a bonus.

Workey
You got it right, that corset maker and Society of Friends/deist/ revolutionary/ radical/ pamphleteer/inventor.
Remains one of the few remarkable hero’s of the American revolution, who was never awarded his just due.
Was responsible for a great deal of the content of both the decleration of independance and constitution, but never received credit for his effort.
Which was changed by the wealthy landowning aristocracy who at the same time took credit for it and shaped it to their needs (slavery) and yes respect should be shown to the “Society of Friends” for their opposition to slavery and the fact their religious practices are i find simple yet admirable.

As for athiests, they have as much right to their opinion as those who use faith as their main argument.
Would you accept faith over reason in regard to the existence of a prime mover or whatever name you give her/him ?
Both Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have recently written on the subject, some may find it interesting reading.

Most atheists I know aren’t the militant Dawkins-following type. I certainly am not one. I don’t have many arguments with theists because as I tell them: atheism doesn’t require me to take specific positions on…everything. The arguments I do have tend to be with the I.D. strain of creationists who claim that believing in the scientific method and a literal interpretation of the Bible are compatible. These types usually also claim that there is a broad cultural bias against Christianity in the west and that explains the prejudiced decision not to consider creationism science and teach it as such.

I really do prefer to avoid these arguments.

I did go to a Quaker wedding once a couple years ago. It was a pretty cool format of ceremony, relatively.

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GS: after my posts above and watching the whole of the Swansea game I do wonder if it’s a matter of systems. Swansea’s 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 is perfect for him as it doesn’t require him to cover defensively. He floats between lines and uses his pace to win lots of loose balls. He seems to have improved his close control and passing vision. I wonder if we wouldn’t see the same sort of development out of Obertan had he gone to Swansea or a team with a similar philosophy. It is a team philosophy, Rodgers willingness to take credit for it aside.

The comments could have come from people writing on here although I definitely know it wasn’t Chuck because there was no mention of up and coming young mangers. It wasn’t Joe Hawkins either because he can no longer contain his absolute contempt for Pardew (I don’t blame him, we were absolutely terrible to watch last season and it is supposed to be f@cking entertainment after all).